Shoulder Check

So… I did a stupid.

During staff batting practice last September with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, I tracked down a fly ball, took a spill, and landed squarely on my left shoulder. The result? A Grade V shoulder separation. Surgery. A month in a sling. Three months of physical therapy. And a whole lot of mental frustration.

The timing couldn’t have been worse. I had three organizations I was actively working with—doing it all with one arm down. I missed a Patriots game. I missed the Rumble Ponies’ playoff run, which ended in an Eastern League Championship. That one stung.

What I didn’t miss, though, was New Jersey Devils Media Day.

I had just been hired and was asked to help film a few pieces. The injury was only days old, and surgery was scheduled for the next day. At that point, it couldn’t really get worse—so I said yes and powered through.

If you watch the video from that day, you might notice something: my arm locked at a perfect 90-degree angle, doing everything it could not to fall off my shoulder. When that clip later played on the big screen during Mascot Madness, all I could do was laugh.

Looking back now, I’m grateful to be on the other side of it—healthy, healed, and back to full strength. A small scar and a lingering bump aren’t going to stop me from being the best host I can be.

Let’s just… not do that again.